Power-equalizing device for vehicle brakes



Dec; 30; 1930. w, 5 T 1,787,092

POWER EQUA. IZING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE BRAKES Original FiledSepi. 26. 1922 I N VEN TOR.

' JOHN )ZEMITH. \BY 7 ATTORNEY.

, Patented Dec. 30,1930

comrnny, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSY IA, 1n companion, or" resume vnmn Original application flledscpt'ex nh er I This application is'a division of my p nding appl cationfor Letters PatentSerIalNm 590,565, filed September 26, 1922.

This inventionrelates to automotive vehicles and more particularly tothe type embodying brakin rnechs'inisms for the" front or f steering wheels m'ad'dition to the usual braking mechanism associated with the rear or traction wheels. 10

means for simultaneously applying-power to' the braking 'rnec'hanisms at the front and rearends ofthe vehicle and t equalize the} power so distributed whereby eachjbraking" mechanism maybe actuated to the same 'degreewith respect to theother braking mechanisms. I

This 'and other' 'objects are-accomplished" Qbrndlng engagement there etwe'em so as to by what I now regardasth'e preferred form ofmy'invention from among; other possible arrangements embraced within the" spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended" claIims.h I .d' lit e accom anyin rawings, Fi lis a vie v'in ele vation of the equaliz ing evice for dividing the braking'eff'ort among several braking devices, and braking connection being diagrammaticallyshown.' f ig. 2 is a view in .perspectiveof one of the arms forming a part of the-equalizing device and illustrating the equalizing clutch members.

In the successful operation of four wheel brakes it is necessary to divide or equalize the braking effort between the four braking mechanisms. This has been heretofore accomplished by means of differentiating devices of a more or less complex and inefficient nature. I have devised an extremely simple and effective mechanism whereby this urpose may be accomplished and refer to" ig ures l and 2 wherein 59 designates a tubular shaft adapted to be extended transversely of the vehlcles, located preferably at a medial point and supported by means of brackets 60 for rotation. The tubular shaft 59 is rotated by means of an arm 61 affixed thereto and pedal. 7

The. object of the invention is toprovide the wheels adapted for linkage connection to the brake mowiimnouamame "niivron ream-mm snake's as, 1922, ale No. teases; mama enema animation med Jun- .27,1928. Serial 110,288,575, r v i A-rod 62'eirtends throughout the length of the tubular shaft 59 and beyond the ends;

"supportsa pair of sleeves 63 anda .pair of sleeves 64, the former being interposed. be--. tween the latter and the ends of-said, tubular shaft, The-sleeves 63;are each provided with, w a radial-arm 65 for linkage connection to one of the braking mechanisms or the front wheels, while the sleeves 64 are each provided with an arm 66 adapted for linkage connection with the brakin mechanism of the rear or 'traction wheels 0 the vehicle." The adjacent or contacting ends of the tubular shaft 59 and the sleeves 63 are formed with COIIL-z. plementary spiral or equalizing-clutch faces: 67 and axial faces 68,- thespi-ral faces67 per-- mitting limited movement betweenztheisaid parts in one direction by radually causingeventually completely'jlimitsuch movement. In asimila'r manner the adj acent-ends of the sleeves 63 and 64; are'formed with axial faces 69 and spiral cooperating faces 70:arran ed with respect tothe spiral faces 67 so :t at

binding action'of thesleeves 64 will occur 76 upon rotation thereof relative'to the tubular shaft 59-ina direction oppositeto thatof the sleeve 63. One end of the rod 62 is headed and the other end threaded to receive a nut enabling the relative spacing; of the sleeves 63, 64; and the amount oflostmotion to be, varied by adjusting said nut.

In the operation of this device it will be noted" that when the brakes; are applied,- efi'ecting rotation'of the tubularsshaft;59, during initial rotativemovement'of the latter the spiral faces 67 at the ends of the shaft 59'will' be gradually tightened against the contacting spiral faces of the sleeves 63: until the' latter 'are 'carried therewith, and upon motionofthe-sleeves 63 the sleeves64 will likewise be successively" tightened in the same manner and carried therewith 1 so thatya distribution of binding" strains will take place between the spiral-faces'67 and 1 7 0 at each endof the. device and eventually the power-transmitted to the braking devices to an equal and uniform degree- In this operation it will-be notedlthat the tubular shaft 59 is a rotary actuating e1ement,and

the sameside't'lieieof. Such successive op erationof the elements of the series, onebythe other, is carried out through the mutual engagement Ofqthe, elements of the series. -Wliile tlie equalizing. of the front andfli'ear brakes on each side is carried out "by the mutual engagement of the elements of the pairs 63 and 64 on'opposite sides of the vehicle,theequalizing action as between the brakes on opposite sides of the vel icle' is carried out by the engagement betweeu the shaft 59 andtheinnermost elements of the lack'of-basic character. do not, by any means, preclude modifications;

breadth .of interpretation of' the annexed claims within the-generic spirit of the in-j vention. r

What I elaimis: 1' 1 1. A power" equalizing device comprising a plurality of relatiyely movableelements andxmeans for efi'ect-ingza gradual binding engagement between the several elements vehicle brakes operated upon the movement of one element relative to the others, together with front and'rear saidielementsw w; .k

2. A power equalizing device, comprising 'an actuated element, a series of actuating elements, andmeansfor progressively lockingtheactuated "element, to said actuating elements in binding engagement and toef feet a-distribution of binding strain equally between said =,elements, together with front,

and rear-vehicle brakes operated respecbetween the .rotative element and said 0ptively-from the actuating elements of said series i, a 4

3. A power equalizing device comprising a rotatingnelement anda plurality .ofopverating elements connected in series for Sll'Cfcessive operation one by the othenand means for effecting a gradual binding. engagement erating elements-and to distribute uniformly binding'strain'therebetween.

ment betweenithe shaft vlaud elements. whererespectively from the .tribution of bin ing surfaces, whereby to cause pro ressive binding engagement between the s aft and elements and between the elements to effect uniforindistribution of power to the latter.

6. Aipower equalizingdevice comprisin a tubular shaft having its ends formed W151 spiral clutchfaces, a pair of aligned sleeves, one at each end of the shaft having complen' 'entar' clutch -faces', for coo eration' with the s iaft clutch faces,.a secont pair of aligned sleeves tlie'-- latter and the first sleeves having similar coo )erating and complementary spiral clutch aces, whereby r0- tation of the shaft is imparted to the sleeves by virtue of binding engagement between the spiral faces, and a rod running through theshafflandsleeves to tie them together,-

7. A power equalizing device comprisin a shafty'and a series of elements aligne with means to vary the amount, of play be-i ,-.tween the shaft and sleeves. It is believed that the prior artadniits of very considerable with theshaft and inimiitual engagement,

said elements and -the shaft ends having cooperating complementary spirally arranged surfaces, whereby to cause pro essive binding engagement hetweenthe sa'ft and elements and between the elements to effect 7 uniform distribution of'ipol'wer to the latter,

together with front and'rear vehiclebrakes operated respectively from the elements 'of a saidseries.

8. A power equalizing system for vehicle 5 brakes comprising two series of actuated i elements, a common actuating element, means for progressively looking the actuating element to bothfof said series-of actuated ele ments in bindin engagement to effect a dis- 7 strain equally between" the elements ofsaid series, and two airs ofvelucle brakes, one pair of said ve icle brakes being connected toone of said actuated elements and the other to the other actuated element.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, e V

i JOHN SMITH.

by to causeaneven distribution of power from .the shaft tosaid elements, together with front and-rear vehicle brakesoperated said elements and 'theshaft ends having cooperating complementary spirally arranged Ill 

